Baked Potatoes Normally Take an Hour. This 12-Minute Hack Changes Everything

When cooler weather arrives, it's time to swap grilling for heartier fare. Baked potatoes are a cold-season favorite; uncomplicated, filling and reliably delicious. The downside? The lengthy oven time required. Enter your air fryer.This appliance produces beautifully crispy skins and tender, fluffy centers in far less time, all without heating up your entire kitchen. Whether you're preparing a quick Tuesday night meal or tackling a festive holiday dinner, these air fryer baked potatoes consistently deliver.Some cooks — including this one — jump-start the process in the microwave before transferring potatoes to the air fryer for a hybrid approach that combines speed with texture. Once you've tried this method, traditional oven-baking will feel like ancient history.Don't miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.Best Air Fryers We Tested See at CNET My 12-Minute Baked Potato Recipe A microwave and an air fryer will give you the best baked potato of your life. David Watsky/CNET What you need One russet potato1 teaspoon olive oil or butterA microwaveAn air fryerKosher salt for serving Directions Step 1: Poke 10 to 12 air holes in the potato using a fork and salt liberally.Step 2: Microwave the potato on high for 8 to 10 minutes or until it's fork-tender and cooked through.Step 3: Slice the potato halfway through and toss with melted butter or olive oil. You can also stuff the potato with cheese or bacon bits.Step 4: Air fry on high, skin side up, for 2 minutes.Step 5: Flip and cook for another two minutes until desired crispiness is achieved. (If topping with cheese, veggies or bacon, cook skin side down only.) Feel free to stuff or top the potato to your heart's content. Getty ImagesFor more tips, see my list of the seven foods I'll only air fry from now on, and learn the best way to reheat every kind of leftovers. 20 Best Kitchen Gifts Under $30 +17 More See all photos